Fan assemblies



p 1966 c. w. COWARD, JR 3,273,788

FAN ASSEMBLIES Filed Jan. 11, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 20, 1966 c. w. CCWARD, JR

FAN ASSEMBLIES 3 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jan. 11, 1965 INVENTOR P 1966 c. w. COWARD, JR 3,273,738

FAN ASSEMBLIES 5 Sheets-Sheet :5

Filed. Jan. 11, 1965 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,273,788 FAN ASSEMBLIES Charles Wadtlell Coward, In, Mount Laurel Township, NJ. (RD. I, Roar 64-, Moorestown, NI.) Filed Jan. 11, 1965, Ser. No. 424,434 25 (Ilairns. (U. 23Il--Ill7) This invention relates to improvements in fluid moving devices and more particularly is directed to a fan assembly employing a cylindrical housing wherein the air or fluid is drawn through the inlet of the fan assembly and discharged through the outlet of the fan assembly, the path of air being essentially in a straight line.

Such fans are particularly useful where space requirements are at a premium, since the cylindrical design will occupy between /2 and /3 of the volume of a. conven tional scroll centrifugal fan with the same rating and noise level. In addition, these fans with cylindrical housings otter a greater ease of installation and a lower installed cost than comparative conventional scroll centrifugal fans.

However, several disadvantages of these currently available cylindrical fans have limited their use. These disadvantages include ditficult and sometimes impossible access to the internal rotating parts, and for high performance "fans, the individual cutting and fitting of so many internal parts to achieve close tolerances, that construction and maintenance costs of these fans have become excessive. Where fans without cylindrical housings, sometimes known as wall or panel fans, have been furnished for straight line air flow, their use has been quite limited because of increased noise levels, reduced elficiencies and poor performance against relatively high resistances.

The present invention, therefore, is concerned with unique improvements in cylindrical fans, particularly in the construction of the housing and the support means of the entire fan assembly whereby disadvantages such as mentioned above are overcome.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cylindrical fan assembly which, while enabling ready access to the internal parts, is structurally sound and rigid and capable of resisting the forces of high rotating speeds.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a common support plate for the support of the bearings, shaft, motor and drive assembly, insuring that a fixed relationship be maintained between each of these internal parts.

It is another object of this invention to support the cylindrical housing on said support plate independently of the internal parts carried by the support plate and, by means of said support plate, also maintain a fixed relationship between the above mentioned internal parts and the cylindrical housing. Therefore, the housing, not having any structural load placed upon it, can be fabricated of an almost limitless number of self-supporting materials.

It is another object of this invention to retain this fixed relationship between the internal parts and the cylindrical housing in any desired mounting position.

It is another object of this invention to maintain support of the internal parts and especially of the fan wheel independently of the orifice in which the fan wheel is located. This independence will insure that there will be no structural loading on the orifice.

In combination with the aforementioned advantages, it is another object of this invention to provide an inner housing isolating the internal parts from the atmosphere handled by the fan assembly.

Other features and advantages of this invention will become obvious to one skilled in the art after review of both this disclosure and the included drawings.

ice

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the fan assembly, the view being taken as indicated by the line ]l-I of FIG- URE 2.

FIG. 2 is a plan section taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view taken as indicated by the line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIG. 3 is an isometric exploded view of the various components of the assembly.

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the modification of the invention, employing a central direct drive motor for the fan.

FIG. 6 is a cross section on the line 6-6 of FIG- URE 5.

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of a modification employing a plurality of fan wheels and air control guide vanes.

FIG. 8 is a half-fan section on line $-tl of FIGURE 7.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary section of a modification employing a fiinger.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary section of a modification of an air-sealing hood for the belt drive.

The fan assembly, in one form, is composed of an outer cylindrical housing 11 which is preferably formed of two like .parts or halves II-a and 11-h, an inner housing 12, also preferably formed of two like parts 1l2a and 12-h, and support plate 13, bearings M, shaft 15, and a fan wheel 16, as shown in FIGURES l, 2,. 3 and 4. This form of the fan assembly also includes a motor 18 mounted outside of the outer housing 11 on the support plate 13 and indirectly connected to the fan shaft 15 by means of a belt drive 17, as shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 4-.

Another form of the fan assembly is illustrated in FIG. 5 and includes an outer cylindrical housing l1 and an inner housing 12, as described above, but rather than an indirectly connected motor located on the outside of the outer housing 11, includes a motor IS-rz directly con nected to a fan wheel 16 and mounted. on a support plate I3-a and located centrally within the inner housing I2 so the motor 18-a is encased by the like halves of the inner housing l.2a and 1242. This support plate 13a is similar to the support plate I3, as described above, but, in this instance, the plate is provided with a cut-out portion ]t3b to accommodate the motor Iii-a.

It is pointed out that the inner housing 12, preferably split axially, is employed to protect the bearings I l, shaft I5, and belt drive 17 of FIGURES l, 2, 3 and 4, or the motor 18-11 of FIGURES 5 and 6. Since the fan wheel is located within the outer housing 11 and remote from the inner housing I2, the inner housing 12 is provided with -a small hole 12-0, to accommodate the shaft I5 of the motor Ifi-a, as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 or the hub of the fan wheel 16, as shown in FIGURE 1. Each half or" the inner housing is also formed with a cavity extending from within the interior of the inner housing to the exterior of the inner housing, providing clearance for the exteriorly mounted belt drive 17 as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

One half i l-Ll or 12-!) of the inner housing is also preferably attached firmly to one half I l-a or ill-b of the outer housing, and these two combined parts then form one half of the completed housing. Two such half housings, both assembled in the same manner are then removably joined to each other to form the final cylindrical housing. Prior to this final assembly, one of the assembled half housings is removably attached to the support plate 13. The remaining half housing is then assembled over the support plate 13 to the original half housing as de scribed previously.

Due to the design of the inner housing a hollow space 20 is formed which opens to the atmosphere at the exterior walls of the fan assembly as shown in FIGURE 3. Located in the hollow space are the bearing 14, shaft 15 and belt drive 17 and support plate 13, or the internally mounted motor 18-1; and support plate 13-11. Thus, these parts can be readily inspected and maintained from outside the fan assembly.

Another form of this fan assembly would include the outer cylindrical housing 11 and an indirectly connected motor 18, as shown in FIGURES 1, 2, 3 and 4, but would not include an inner housing 12. The bearings 14 and other internal parts would be mounted on a support plate 13-0 as shown in FIGURE 8. This support plate is clamped between the flanges of the outer housing 11-0 and extended beyond the outer housing 11-0 as described previously. Space 20 as shown in FIGURE 3 would be closed, as shown in FIGURE 8, so that the atmosphere handled by the fan assembly would not escape from the housing. The drive assembly 17 connecting the motor 18 and the shaft 15 would be encased in the hood 17-a as shown in FIGURE to also prevent escaping atmospheres. Omission of the inner housing 12 is desirable when the atmosphere handled by the fan will not damage the internal parts of the fan assembly. Omission of this part would result in a lighter and less complex assembly while maintaining the high performance and the advantages of the comm-on support plate found in the previously mentioned form of this fan assembly. Omission of the inner housing would also reduce the blockage of airflow through the outer housing of the fan assembly resulting in an increase of efficiency.

Another form of this fan assembly would include the outer cylindrical housing 11 and omit the inner housing 12, as described previously, but rather than the indirectly connected motor 18, this form would include a motor 18-a, centrally located within the outer housing 11, and directly connected to the fan wheel 16. In this form the outer housing 11 would be furnished without a space 211, as described previously. This motor 18-51 would be supported on a support plate 13-a, as shown in FIGURE 5. The advantages of the less complex fan assembly, as described previously, are exhibited by this form. In addition, the fan wheel being directly connected to the motor will not require the maintenance and will also offer greater dependability compared to an indirectly connected fan wheel and motor.

In the aerodynamic operation of the first described form of this fan assembly, the shaft 15 is indirectly rotated by the motor 18. The fan wheel 16 being firmly aflixed to the shaft 15 also rotates and the air is drawn into the inlet of the assembled fan. The air is then divided into two streams, the boundaries of each stream being formed by one half of an inner housing, and the corresponding half of the outer housing. The two streams of air then pass around the combination of the belt drive 17, shaft 15, bearings 14 and support plate 13, being separated from these parts by the inner housing 12. These streams of air then join together and finally pass through the fan wheel. The air or fluid is then discharged from the fan assembly.

The aerodynamic operation of a form of the fan assembly without an inner housing is the same as described for a fan assembly with an inner housing, except that the atmosphere would pass through the fan assembly in direct contact with the internal parts. Such fans are especially useful for supplying and exhausting clean air; for example, heating and cooling systems.

FIGURES 7 and 8 also illustrate a modification of the fan assembly in which a fan wheel 16-a is employed at the inlet end of the fan assembly, a fan wheel 16-]; on the discharge end of the fan assembly and an intermediate fan wheel 16-0 in order to increase the performance range of this fan assembly. To further increase the performance range of this assembly, it is contemplated to employ a greater number of fan wheels. It will be noted that in this modification, the inner housing 12 is omitted. The

1 operation of the fan assembly would be the same as previously described without the inner housing. The support plate, where a plurality of fan wheels are employed, is divided into two or more pieces 13-a within the outer housing 11-0 in order to provide slots for the intermediate fan wheel 16-0 and support of the bearings 14-11. These separate pieces 13-d are then firmly fastened together forming a solid support plate 13-0 within the outer housing 11-0 and being clamped bet-Ween the halves of the outer housing 11-0, extend beyond said outer housing 11-0, as shown in FIGURE 8. As another form of this modification, the separate pieces 13-d may be firmly fastened together outside of the outer cylindrical housing.

FIGURE 7 also illustrates the addition of air control guide vanes 16-0., 16-e and 16- which can be used to control the residual swirl of the air before or after a fan wheel 16-a, 16-17 and 16-0 resulting in a more efiicient and less noisy fan assembly.

FIGURE 9 illustrates a modification of the fan assembly where a flinger 21 would be employed on the fan shaft to act as a bafile or seal to prevent the fluid from entering the inner housing 12 through the hole 12-0. The flinger may also be employed to dissipate heat which, being conducted within the shaft 15, could damage the bearings 14 or other internal parts. This conducted heat often occurs when the fan Wheel handles hot gases.

The support from an adjacent structure of the entire fan assembly would be effected by the threaded rods or brackets 19 attached to those portions of the support plate which extend beyond the exterior wall of the outer housing.

The support plate 13 performs a very important structural operation in this fan assembly. The support plate not only supports the outer housing and the inner housing but also supports separately and independently of any part of the housing, th bearings, shaft, fan wheel and drive assembly of the FIGURES 1, 2, 3 and 4 or the interior motor and the fan wheel assembly of FIGURES 5 and 6. It is, therefore, evident that the support plate transfers the entire load of either the motor or the fan wheel, or the combination of the belt drive, shaft and fan wheel, directly to the supporting rods or their equivalent. Since the outer housing and the inner housing are required to be only self-supporting and fastenable to the support plate, these housings are thereby freed of absorbing any induced vibration from the rotating parts and, therefore, can be fabricated of any self-supporting material in thicknesses which are impractical with present designs.

Another advantage of the axially sp-lit housing is that immediate access, inspection and service may be rendered to the internal parts by removing one half of the outer housing and inner housing combination. This will completely expose the bearings, shaft, and fan wheel, for repairs or replacement while leaving these items attached to the support plate and installed in the duct system.

Another advantage of this design when using the inner housing, is the exposure in space 20 between both halves of the inner housing of the shaft bearings and shaft or the internally mounted motor from either side of the fan assembly, permitting the instant inspection of the bearings or motor without removing a portion of the fan housing. These several advantages are offered in combination with a structurally robust design permitting close tolerances and high rotative speeds which permit wide use of this machine.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a fan assembly consisting of a cylindrical housing to confine and direct the air and having installed within said cylindrical housing a fan wheel attached to a shaft and said shaft being attached to a drive system, said fan wheel, shaft and drive system combination being supported by a plate extending from within said cylindrical housing to the exterior wall of said housing, said cylindrical housing being removably attached to said support plate at the point where said cylindrical housing and said support plate intersect and said support plate extending beyond said exterior Wall of said cylindrical housing for a finite distance, said support plate thereby supporting the combination of the fan wheel, shaft, and drive system, independently of the support of the cylindrical housing, said support plate also maintaining a fixed relationship between the combination of fan parts.

2. In a fan assembly comprising an outer cylindrical .housing and having installed within said outer cylindrical housing a fan wheel attached to a shaft; said shaft connected to a drive system and said shaft being supported by bearings; said bearings being supported by a plate extending from within said outer cylindrical housing to the exterior of said housing; said support plate intersecting the exterior walls of said outer cylindrical housing; said outer cylindrical housing being removably attached to said support plate at the point where said outer cylindrical housing and said support plate intersect and said support plate extending beyond said exterior wall of said outer cylindrical housing for a finite distance; said support plate thereby supporting the combination of the fan wheel, shift, bearings and drive system independently of the support of the outer cylindrical housing; said support plate also maintaining a fixed relationship between the combination of fan parts.

3. In a fan assembly as described in claim 2; in which the outer cylindrical housing is divided axially in two parts; both parts being removably attached to each other and to said support plate.

4. In a fan assembly as described in claim 2; the addition of air control guide vanes located either on the inlet and/ or the discharge .of a fan wheel to control the residual swirl of the air providing a more efficient and less noisy fan assembly.

5. In a fan assembly as described in claim 2; the support plate being fabricated in two or more pieces providing one or more slots for the intermediate fan wheels.

6. In a fan assembly as described in claim 2.; the addition of two or more fan wheels installed within one outer cylindrical fan housing on a common shaft supported by common bearings in order to increase the effective operating characteristics of the fan assembly.

7. In a fan assembly comprising an outer cylindrical housing and having installed within said housing a fan wheel attached to a shaft; and said shaft connected to a drive system; said shaft being supported by bearings; said bearings being supported by a support plate; said support plate, bearings, shaft and drive system being partially enclosed in an inner housing; said inner housing being open from one side of said outer cylindrical housing to the opposite side of said outer cylindrical housing; said inner housing also being open at a point required for connection of the fan Wheel located within said outer cylindrical housing to the shaft and bearing combination located within said inner housing; said support plate extending from within said inner housing to the exterior of said inner housing and said outer cylindrical housing; said inner housing providing a location for removably attaching said support plate to said inner housing and to said outer cylindrical housing; said support plate extending beyond said exterior walls of said inner housing and said outer cylindrical housing for a finite distance; said support plate thereby supporting the combination of the fan Wheel, shaft, bearings and drive system independently of the outer cylindrical housing and said inner housing; said support plate also maintaining a fixed relationship between the combination of fan parts.

8. In a fan assembly as described in claim 7; in which the outer cylindrical housing and the inner housing are both divided axially in two parts: one part of said outer cylindrical housing being joined to a similar part of the inner housing along opposite axial seams forming one half of the collective fan housing; both halves of said collective housing being removably attached to each other and to said support plate.

9. In a fan assembly as described in claim 7; the addition of fixed or movable air control guide vanes located either on the inlet and/ or the discharge of a fan wheel to control the residual swirl of the air providing a more efiicient and less noisy fan assembly.

10. In a fan assembly as described in claim 7; the sup port plate being fabricated in two or more pieces providing one or more slots for the intermediate fan wheels.

11. In a fan assembly as described in claim 7; the addition of two or more fan Wheels installed within one cylindrical fan housing on a common shaft supported by common bearings in order to increase the elfective operating characteristics of the fan assembly.

12. In a fan assembly as described in claim 7; the addition of a finger located on the shaft between the front bearing and the fan wheel within said inner housing; said flinger to circulate cooling gases around said bearings and to otherwise render the :fan assembly more resistant to the atmosphere handled by the fans.

13. In a fan assembly comprising an outer cylindrical housing and having installed within said outer cylindrical housing a fan wheel attached to a shaft; said shaft being either an integral part of a motor or said shaft being removably and directly attached to an integral part of a motor; said motor and shaft and fan wheel combination being supported by a support plate extending from within said outer cylindrical housing to the exterior of said housing; said support plate intersecting the exterior walls of said outer cylindrical housing; said outer cylindrical housing being removably attached to the support plate at the point where said outer cylindrical housing and said support plate intersect; said support plate extending beyond said exterior walls of said outer cylindrical housing for a finite distance and said support plate thereby supporting the combination of the fan Wheel, shaft, bean ings and drive system independently of the outer cylindrical housing; said support plate also maintaining a fixed relationship between the combination of parts.

14. In a fan assembly as described in claim 13; in which the outer cylindrical housing is divided axially in two parts, both parts being removably attached to each other and to said support plate.

15. in a fan assembly as described in claim 13; the addition of air control guide vanes located either on the inlet, and/ or the discharge of a fan wheel to control the residual swirl of the air providing a more eflicient and less noisy fan assembly.

16. In a fan assembly as described in claim 13; the support plate being fabricated in two or more pieces providing one or more slots for the intermediate fan Wheels.

17. In a fan assembly as described in claim 13; the addition of two or more fan wheels installed within one cylindrical fan housing on a common shaft supported by common hearings in order to increase the effective operating characteristics of the fan assembly.

18. In a fan assembly comprising an outer cylindrical housing and having installed within said outer cylindrical housing a fan wheel attached to a shaft; said shaft being either an integral part of a motor; or said shaft being removably and directly attached to an integral part of a motor; said motor and shaft and fan wheel combination being supported by a support plate; said motor, shaft and support plate combination being partially enclosed in an inner housing; said inner housing being open from one side of said outer cylindrical housing to the opposite side of said outer cylindrical housing; said inner housing also being open at a point required for connection of the fan wheel located in the outer cylindrical housing to said motor and shaft combination located within the inner housing; said support plate extending from within said inner housing to the exterior of said inner housing and outer cylindrical housing; said inner housing providing a location for removably attaching said support plate to said inner housing and to said outer cylindrical housing; said support plate extending beyond said exterior walls of said inner housing and said outer cylindrical housing for a finite distance; said support plate thereby supporting the combination of the fan wheel, shaft, and motor independently of the outer cylindrical housing and said inner housing; said support plate also maintaining a fixed relationship between the combination of the fan parts.

19. In a fan assembly as described in claim 18; in which the outer cylindrical housing and the inner housing are both divided axially in two parts; one part of the outer cylindrical housing being joined to a similar part of the inner housing along opposite axial seams forming one half of the collective fan housing, both halves of said collective housing being removably attached to each other and to said support plate.

20. -In a fan assembly as described in claim 18; the addition of air control guide vanes located either on the inlet and/or discharge of a fan wheel to control the residual swirl of the air providing a more efiicient and less noisy fan assembly.

21. In a fan assembly as described in claim 18; the support plate being fabricated in two or more pieces providing one or more slots for the intermediate fan wheels.

22. In a fan assembly as described in claim 18; the addition of two or more fan wheels installed within one cylindrical fan housing on a common sha ft supported by common bearings in order to increase the effective operating characteristics of the fan assembly.

23. In a fan assembly as described in claim 18; the addition of a flinger located on the shaft between the motor and the fan wheel within the inner housing, said finger to circulate cooling gases around said motor and to otherwise render the .fan assembly more resistant to the atmosphere handled by the fans.

24. In a fluid moving machine assembly comprising an outer cylindrical housing to confine and direct the fluid; an impeller or impellers mounted on a shaft and located within said outer cylindrical housing; a guide vane system to improve and guide the flow of fluid; a hearing system for providing support of the shaft and a drive system for transfer-ring energy between a prime mover and said shaft; said outer cylindrical housing forming the fluid inlet to the machine and the fluid outlet from the machine; the flow of fluid being essentially ina straight line; said bearings, shaft and impeller combination being also located between the fluid inlet and outlet of said machine assembly; said bearings, shaft, impeller and drive system combination being supported by a support plate or plates extending from within the outer cylindrical housing to the exterior of the outer cylindrical housing; said outer cylindrical housing being removably attached to the support plate at the point where said outer cylindrical housing and said support plate intersect; said support plate extending beyond said exterior walls of said outer cylindrical housing for a finite distance, said support plate thereby supporting the combination of the impeller or impellers, shaft, bearings and drive system independently of said outer cylindrical housing; said support plate or plates also maintaining a fixed relationship between the combination of machine parts.

25. A fluid moving machine assembly as described in claim 24; said machine assembly including an inner housing or housings partially enclosing said bearings, shaft, drive system and support plate; said inner housing also being open at a point required for connection of the fan wheel located in the outer cylindrical housing to the shaft and bearing combination located within said inner housing; said support plate extending from within said inner housing to the exterior of said outer cylindrical housing; said inner housing providing a location for removably attaching said support plate to said inner housing and to said outer cylindrical housing; said support plate extending beyond said exterior walls of said inner housing; and said outer cylindrical housing for a finite distance; said support plate thereby supporting the combination of the impeller or impellers, shaft, bearings and drive system independently of the outer cylindrical housing and said inner housing; said support plate also maintaining a fixed relationship between the combination of machine assembly parts.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,004,571 6/ 1935 Bothezat. 2,335,508 11/1943 Gustafsson et al 230-- 3,069,071 12/ 1962 Carlson 230-117 ROBERT M. WALKER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A FAN ASSEMBLY CONSISTING OF A CYLINDRICAL HOUSING TO CONFINE AND DIRECT THE AIR AND HAVING INSTALLED WITHIN SAID CYLINDRICAL HOUSING A FAN WHEEL ATTACHED TO A SHAFT AND SAID SHAFT BEING ATTACHED TO A DRIVE SYSTEM, SAID FAN WHEEL, SHAFT AND DRIVE SYSTEM COMBINATION BEING SUPPORTED BY A PLATE EXTENDING FROM WITHIN SAID CYLINDRICAL HOUSING TO THE EXTERIOR WALL OF SAID HOUSING, SAID CYLINDRICAL HOUSING BEING REMOVABLY ATTACHED TO SAID SUPPORT PLATE AT THE POINT WHERE SAID CYLINDRICAL HOUSING AND SAID SUPPORT PLATE INTERSECT AND SAID SUPPORT PLATE EXTENDING BEYOND SAID EXTERIOR WALL OF SAID CYLINDRICAL HOUSING FOR A FINITE DISTANCE, SAID SUPPORT PLATE THEREBY SUPPORTING THE COMBINATION OF THE FAN WHEEL, SHAFT, AND DRIVE SYSTEM, INDEPENDENTLY OF THE SUPPORT OF THE CYLINDRICAL HOUSING, SAID SUPPORT PLATE ALSO MAINTAINING A FIXED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COMBINATION OF FAN PARTS. 